Display counter



ave/M 01 V. C. M CRORY DISPLAY COUNTER Filed 001 28, 13;!

VA/V 6'. M GRUB) @3313 V Chief/n01, y-fiw Feb. 19, 1929.

Patented Feb. 19,1929.

UNITED STATES M 1,702,408 PATENT OFFICE.

VAN C. MGCBOBY, OF LEONIA, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO HCCRORY STORES CORPORA- 'IION, 01 NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

DISPLAY COUNTER.

Application filed October 28, 1927. Serial No. 229,415.

. l proximately level with each, other and are usually level with an encircling or enclosing wall about the edge of the table. These blocks have heretofore been spaced from each other sufiiciently to permit the insertion of a vertical sheet of glass which extends upwardly above the upper surface of the blocks to'formpartitions and divide the surface of the false bottom into a number of small compartments. In thus dividing the surface of the false bottom, the blocks have been been so arranged and spaced as to receive main partitions that extend entirely across the table or counter, usually in a transverse direction, and divide the surface into main compartment-s. To divide the long compart ments thus formed into smaller compartments, ithas heretofore been necessary to form the bottom of each main compartment of a number of small blocks so that vertical division walls might be inserted therebetween. This necessitated the use of a large number of blocks and limited the area of the sub-compartments thus formed to the exact sizes of the boxes that could be fitted into the lengthwise compartment.

These disadvantages and limitations are avoided by my present invention, one object of which is to enable sub-compartments to be formed, of any desired width, on a single block surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide a partition holding or anchoring device that may be readily and quickly installed at any desired position.'

A further object of the invention is to provide a partitioned counter of simple construction, having a minimum number of false bottom blocks, that permits the area of the counter to be divided into compartments of any desired width.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the counter and partition construction and the anchoring or hold-' in means described and set forth in the u fo lowing specification and claims.

The various features of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which;

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of a counter, showing an anchormg means embodying a preferred form of the invention. Fig. 2 is. a plan view of thecounter and anchoring means shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the anchoring means shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawing, the surface of the counter is laid with a number of false bottom blocks 10, 11 and 12 which, as indicated in Fig. 2, preferablyextend from one side of the counter to the other. These blocks 10 to 12 ma be ofthe usual hollow or inverted boxike construction. covered with muslin or other fabric 13; The blocks 10 to 12 are spaced from each other to form vertical channels 14 and 15 to receive and support dividing partitions 16 and 17 which are usually of plate glass. These partitions 16 and 17 rest on the upper surface 18 of the counter or table and project above the upper surface of the blocks 10 to 12 to the heighth desired for the partition. As shown in Fig. 2, the partitions 16 and 17 divide the surface of the counter into long, transverse compartments 19.

To subdivide the compartment 19 into subcompartments of the desired size, transverse partitions 20 and 21, which may also be of plate glass, are positioned to extend to the opposed surfaces of the partitions 16 and 17. and to rest on the upper surface of the blocks 10, 11 and 12, respectively. .The partitions 20 and 21 are of a heighth equal to the dis tance from the upper surface of the blocks 10 to 12 to the u per edge of the partitions 16 and 17 or, if esired, may be made somewhat less or greater than this width.

To hold the partitions 20 and 21 in their lproper position and to prevent them from eing overturned, or disp aced widewise, anchoring means 22 and 23 are provided, one at each end of the partition 20 or 21. The anchoring means 22 and 23, which are duplicates of each other, are so arranged that they may be laced at any desired point on the 106 length 0 the blocks 10, 11 or 12, and thereby permit successive partitions 20, 21, to be placed as near each other, or as far apart from each other as desired. In the particular form shown in the accompanying drawing, 110

the anchoring means are formed of a single sheet 24 of metal, having a portion 25 of approximately the width of the partition 20 or 21, and havin a pair of wings 26, 27, struck u outwardly from the side edges of the portion 25, so that the end portion of a partition may be inserted and held therebetween. The lower portion of the plate 24 is widened and provided at its lateral, lower extremities with a pair of teeth 28 and 29 which project in the same direction as the wings 26 and 27 In dividing the compartment 19 into subcompartments, a pair of anchoring means are so positioned, one at each side edge of the block the surface of which is to be divided into sub-compartments, that the lower portion of the plate 24 extends below the vupper surface of the respective block 11 and lies tightly against the partition 16 or 17. In this position, as shown in Fig. 1, the teeth or prongs 28 and 29 will be pressed into the side surface of the block 11 and thus hold the anchoring device from tilting or sliding lengthwise of the block. The anchoring means may be very easily inserted at the desired position by placing it with the wings extending downwardly against the upper surface of the block 11, and the teeth inserted between the partition 16 or 17 of the block 11', as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the anchoring device is brought to an upright position, the prongs will be pressed into the-block to an extent sufficient to securely anchor it.

It will be apparent from the above description that instead of the large number of blocks required for a single long compartment under the former manner of sub-dividing such compartments, under my resent invention, only a single block of the length of the compartment, and of the desired width, is required. Not only is the number of blocks required for the desired arrangement of sub-divisions thus greatly lessened,.but it is also possible to quickly and readily vary the size of, and sets of, sub-compartments without fitting a new assembly of division blocks.

As changes of construction could be made within the scope of my invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A display counter havin a false bottom formed of anumber oi long blocks placed side by side and slightly spaced from each other, main partitions projecting from between said blocks vertically above said false bottom to form main compartments, subpartitions resting on the surface of said blocks extending between said main partitions to divide said main compartments into sub-compartments, and anchoring and retaining means having means for retaining said sub-partitions, and means en aging the sides of said blocks between said blocks and said main partitions.

.2. A display counter having a false bottom formed of a number of long blocks placed side by side and slightly spaced from each other, main partitions projecting from.

between said blocks vertically above said false bottom to form main compartments, sub-partitions resting on the surface of said false bottom and extending between said main partitions to divide said main compartments into sub-compartments, and anchoring plates between the ends of said sub-partitions and the side of said main partitions, said anchor ing plates having retaining wings enclosing the ends of said sub-partitions and having projections between said partitions and said blocksand projecting towards the sides of said blocks.

3. An anchoring means of the type described which comprises a flat plate having a narrow vertical portion, vertical wings projecting from each side edge of said vertical portion to enga e the end portion of a partition, a widene lower portion on said plate, and a pair of teeth projecting sidewise from the lower edge of said plate in the same direction as said wings.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature.

VAN C. MoOROE-Y. 

